Fixed Income
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Dividend Stocks – Part 2: Dividend Stocks vs. Total Return Investing
Created: June 28, 2023
Categories: Article, Dividend Stocks, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Retirement Planning
Description: Building a concentrated position in dividend stocks may appeal to some investors as a way to withdraw income from their investment portfolio. In Part 1 of a two-part series, we explored how dividend stocks really work, and why stocking up on them is not our preferred technique for creating a dependable cash flow in retirement. In this Part 2, we cover why we instead prefer a total return approach to building wealth and generating efficient cash flow as needed.
Dividend Stocks – Part 1: How Dividend Stocks Work
Created: June 28, 2023
Categories: Article, Dividend Stocks, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Retirement Planning
Description: Building a concentrated position in dividend stocks may appeal to some investors as a way to withdraw income from their investment portfolio. In this Part 1 of a two-part series, we explore how dividend stocks really work, and why stocking up on them is not our preferred technique for creating a dependable cash flow in retirement. In Part 2, we'll cover why we instead prefer a total return approach to building wealth and generating efficient cash flow as needed.
Quarterly Client Letter – 2022 Q4
Created: January 4, 2023
Categories: Behavioral Finance, Client-Focused, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, Quarterly Client Letter, Scary Market Insights
Description: This quarterly and year-end client letter looks back on negative returns in 2022, and cautions clients against letting potential pessimism alter their asset allocation decisions. You never know what the near-term future holds, so long-term planning remains advised.
Six Financial Best Practices for Year-End 2022
Created: November 11, 2022
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Economics, Estate Planning, Family Wealth, Financial Planning, Fixed Income, General Audience, Listicle, Philanthropy/Giving, Retirement Planning, Risk Management, Tax Planning, Wealth Management
Description: Share this piece with clients and prospects to offer six financial best practices for year-end 2022. This year's tips cover cash flow management, tax planning, healthcare coverage, and general financial planning in the context of 2022 events, including higher interest rates, inflation, and market volatility.
Quarterly Client Letter – 2022 Q3
Created: October 3, 2022
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Client-Focused, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, Quarterly Client Letter, Scary Market Insights
Description: This quarterly client letter reflects on having entered bear market territory, and why it still makes sense to remain invested in a globally diversified portfolio that reflects each investor's personal financial goals. It references both current commentary as well as historical insights.
Quarterly Client Letter – 2022 Q2
Created: July 4, 2022
Categories: Client-Focused, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, Quarterly Client Letter, Scary Market Insights
Description: This quarterly client letter touches on a series of disorienting conditions in current markets, such as the fact that stocks and bonds are down simultaneously, and reinforces sticking with one's long-term, globally diversified portfolio, including a value tilt when appropriate.
Quarterly Client Letter – 2022 Q1 Free Sample (Click on title to download)
Created: April 4, 2022
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Breaking News, Client-Focused, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, Free Samples, Politics, Quarterly Client Letter
Description: This quarterly client letter explores the essentials of investment planning amidst current market volatility, aggravated by inflation, interest rates, and economic concerns. It optionally points to the recently completed three-part report on the same.
Interest Rates, Inflation & Investing: Report Version
Created: April 4, 2022
Categories: Alternative Investments, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Interest, Inflation & Investing, Politics, Report, Retirement Planning
Description: A compiled, three-part report that combines our multi-part series covering current concerns about interest rates (part 1), inflation (part 2), and what these influences mean to investors (part 3).
Interest Rates, Inflation & Investing, Part 3
Created: April 1, 2022
Categories: Alternative Investments, Article, Breaking News, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Interest, Inflation & Investing, Politics, Report, Retirement Planning
Description: Part 3 in a 3-part series covering current concerns about interest rates (part 1), inflation (part 2), and what these influences mean to investors (in this part 3).
Interest Rates, Inflation & Investing, Part 1
Created: March 16, 2022
Categories: Article, Breaking News, Economics, Fixed Income, General Audience, Interest, Inflation & Investing, Politics, Report
Description: Part 1 in a 3-part series covering current concerns about interest rates (in this part 1), inflation (part 2) and what these influences mean to investors (part 3).
Quarterly Client Letter – 2020 Q2
Created: July 2, 2020
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Client-Focused, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, Politics, Quarterly Client Letter, Scary Market Insights
Description: This 460-word Q2 2020 quarterly client letter reminds clients of the importance of sticking to plan despite near-term market noise in 2020.
Why Safe Harbors Can Be Risky Business
Created: November 21, 2019
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Client Experience, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Scary Market Insights
Description: Use this 922-word article to remind clients and explain to prospective clients how to balance managing short-term market volatility risks with the long-term risk of inflation. It’s also risky to overweight a portfolio in "safe harbor" investments, and/or flee to the sidelines during turbulent times, just in a different way.
You, Your Financial Well-Being and the Federal Reserve (UPDATED)
Created: August 1, 2019
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Client Experience, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, UPDATED Content
Description: UPDATED FROM MARCH 2018: This 1,200-word piece puts the U.S. Federal Reserve's ongoing federal funds rate changes (especially the Aug. 1 2019 rate decrease) into sound, financial-planning context. Use this piece to inform prospects or clients about how the Fed operates, as well as what your role is in helping them manage debt, save, invest, and spend wisely through various interest rate climates and regardless of what lies ahead.
What Is the Yield Curve? (Article)
Created: August 24, 2018
Categories: Article, Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Report, The "What Is ...?" series
Description: This 900-word "What Is?" article translates a tricky investment concept -- the yield curve -- to help clients and prospects alike appreciate the role it plays in their fixed income investing. (Look for the separate, Excel spreadsheet also available in the Content-Sharing Library if you need to directly access the Yield Curve diagrams displayed in this piece.)
What Is the Yield Curve? (Diagrams)
Created: August 24, 2018
Categories: Economics, Evidence-Based Investing, Excel file, Fixed Income, General Audience, The "What Is ...?" series
Description: An Excel file containing two diagrams -- Figures 1 and 2 -- found within the separate "What Is the Yield Curve?" article, also in the Content-Sharing Library. Download this Excel file if you need to directly access the Yield Curve diagrams displayed in this piece.
A Focus on Fixed Income (UPDATED)
Created: April 27, 2018
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Article, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Report, UPDATED Content
Description: UPDATED FROM SEPTEMBER 2015: This 1,275-word article covers the essential roles fixed income should play in an investor's portfolio, along with some of the basics on how fixed income differs from equity investing. It also reinforces the important role an objective advisor can play in building and managing fixed income investments. Use the piece for e-newsletters, e-mails, handouts and mailings, or to create video script for prospective or existing clients.
Structured CDs — Buyer Beware!
Created: September 26, 2016
Categories: Article, Evidence-Based Investing, Expenses, Fixed Income, General Audience
Description: This 650-word article describes how structured or market-based CDs aren't the same as traditional Certificates of Deposit, drawing from a recent Wall Street Journal critique of their costs and conflicts of interest. Share with clients or prospects who may be tempted by the "low risk, higher return" promises without considering the complexities involved.
Fixed Income Investing: What To Do in Lieu of Chasing Yield
Created: May 4, 2016
Categories: Advisor Role/Value, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Report
Description: As follow-up to the Library's "Investing for Retirement Income" series, this 1,250-word piece explores how investors can optimize their fixed income investing without stretching for junk bond or dividend yields. It covers the role of the yield curve, laddering, using CDs/GICs, managing costs, revisiting asset allocations and (last but not least!) working with an experienced advisor to assist in all of these areas. Use this piece to help prospective and current clients better understand fixed income investing. It also will help explain why your advisor fees are the same when managing fixed income or equities. Managed properly, they both require significant care and expertise.
Investing for Retirement Income: Part 3 — Total-Return Investing
Created: March 15, 2016
Categories: Article, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Investing for Retirement Income, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management
Description: In this three-part series, we’ll explore three ways investors try to prevent low interest rates from consuming their retirement income: dividend-yielding stocks, high-yield bonds and total-return investing. Part 1 covered the disadvantages of using dividend-yielding stocks for this role. Part 2 explored the same for high-yield bonds. This Part 3 explains how to use total-return investing for retirement planning (with a low-cost, globally diversified portfolio tailored for individual goals and risk tolerances). Use the series to communicate these messages to clients and prospects alike.
Investing for Retirement Income: Part 2 — High-Yield Bonds
Created: March 6, 2016
Categories: Article, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Investing for Retirement Income, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management
Description: In this three-part series, we’ll explore three ways investors try to prevent low interest rates from consuming their retirement income: dividend-yielding stocks, high-yield bonds and total-return investing. Part 1 covered the disadvantages of using dividend-yielding stocks for this role. Part 2 explores the same for high-yield bonds. Part 3 will explain how to use total-return investing for retirement planning (with a low-cost, globally diversified portfolio tailored for individual goals and risk tolerances). Use the series to communicate these messages to clients and prospects alike.
Investing for Retirement Income: Part 1 – Dividend-Yielding Stocks
Created: February 25, 2016
Categories: Article, Evidence-Based Investing, Fixed Income, General Audience, Investing for Retirement Income, Retirement Planning, Wealth Management
Description: In this three-part series, we’ll explore three ways investors try to prevent low interest rates from consuming their retirement income: dividend-yielding stocks, high-yield bonds and total-return investing. Part 1 covers the disadvantages of using dividend-yielding stocks for this role. Part 2 will explore the same for high-yield bonds. Part 3 will explain how to use total-return investing for retirement planning (with a low-cost, globally diversified portfolio tailored for individual goals and risk tolerances). Use the series to communicate these messages to clients and prospects alike.
Making Sense of Fixed Income
Created: July 18, 2013
Categories: Article, Fixed Income, General Audience
Description: The article briefly describes the current (July 2013) market, in which many investors are panicking and selling off their bond funds, and informs readers that you recommend against succumbing to that trend. It offers four “Guiding Rules” to explain a preferred strategy: (1) The importance of investing according to a personalized plan; (2) An overview of the role fixed income plays; (3) Possible actions that may be appropriate (such as portfolio analysis of non-managed assets, risk-tolerance assessment, and rebalancing opportunities); and (4) The critical importance of staying the course.